The Pteranodon is the first flying creature most players own, and the first tame that makes the map feel small.
It is not the best flyer. It is the cheapest flyer, and cheap is what matters early.
Why you want it
Mobility. Routes that take minutes on foot take seconds. This is the first creature that turns travelling into a non-event.
Scouting. Cliffs, river valleys and coastal inlets stop being obstacles.
A real saddle early. At level 38, the Pteranodon saddle is one of the earliest flying saddles you can craft.
The numbers
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 210 |
| Damage | 18 |
| Weight | 120 |
| Group | Reptiles |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Temperament | Skittish |
| Saddle | Level 38 |
Skittish is the important word. A Pteranodon will flee rather than fight, which makes it one of the few flyers you can tame without a perfect trap. It also means it will run from a fight you wanted it to win.
Where to find them
Pteranodons spawn along coasts and rivers, usually perched, usually within a short glide of somewhere you already walk.
That is why this is the first flyer everyone gets: it lives where you already are.
How to knock it out
Ground it first. A bola on a landing Pteranodon keeps it on the ground, and a grounded Pteranodon is a tame you can finish. Without it, you are shooting at a moving target that is faster than you.
Then tranqs. 210 health is low enough that a slingshot with plenty of stones can do it, though a bow with tranq arrows is faster and safer. Bring far more than you think you need, because a skittish target that keeps moving will dodge shots.
Do not chase it into the air. Once it takes off, the encounter is over for today. Let it land.
Watch for the flock. Pteranodons rarely sit alone, and a second bird landing mid-tame is how the first attempt usually fails.
What to feed it
| Food | Type |
|---|---|
| Regular Kibble | Preferred, made from any Medium Egg |
| Raw Mutton | Fallback |
| Raw Prime Meat | Fallback |
Regular Kibble needs a Medium Egg, and medium eggs are common enough that this stays a cheap tame. Kibble from a Dodo egg also works — Dodos are the easiest egg source in the game — but it tames more slowly and gives lower effectiveness. Either way, if you keep a Dodo pen near your base, this tame is nearly free.
The saddle gate
The Pteranodon saddle unlocks at level 38.
That is low enough that most players can ride what they tame, which is unusual and is exactly why this is the first flyer worth the effort.
After the tame
Keep it in a covered pen or a large walled area. Flyers escape, and a Pteranodon that escapes with a saddle on it is a genuine loss.
Use it for scouting and short trips. It is not a hauler — 120 weight will not carry a metal run — and it is not a fighter. It is the creature that makes the rest of the game faster to reach.
The stamina problem
A Pteranodon’s stamina is small, and running it out is the classic way to lose one — yours or the wild one you are chasing. A wild bird will stall and drop out of the air, which sounds like good news until you remember your mount has the same limitation. Land before the bar empties, and never start a long flight over water with low stamina: a forced landing in the ocean kills the rider, not the bird.
Common mistakes
- Taming it in the air. Ground it or walk away.
- Bringing too few tranqs. Skittish targets move, and moving targets dodge.
- Expecting it to fight. It will flee. That is what skittish means.
- Keeping it too long. It is a stepping stone to an Argentavis, and that is fine.
Related guides
- How to tame an Argentavis — the flyer you upgrade to.
- Best dinos for beginners — the tames that come before this one.
- Taming guide — how knockout taming works and what effectiveness means.